RCSJ celebrated its grand opening of the Together Cafe Too with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 11 a.m., inside the Gloucester Library. This event was a collaboration with RCSJ’s Adult Center for Transition (ACT) Program and Gloucester County Special Services School District (GCSSSD), marking the third cafe location across RCSJ’s two campuses. (L-R) Michael C., ACT Program Graduate; Zykiria C., ACT Student Intern; Aydan D., GCSSSD Student Intern.​

Rowan College of South Jersey (RCSJ) celebrated its grand opening of the Together Cafe Too with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 11 a.m., inside the RCSJ-Gloucester Library. This event was a collaboration with RCSJ's Adult Center for Transition (ACT) Program and Gloucester County Special Services School District (GCSSSD), with support from the Gloucester County Commissioners. 

Since its inception in 2023, RCSJ's Together Cafes have provided job training and employment opportunities for individuals with physical and developmental disabilities, promoting their inclusion in all aspects of community life. The grand opening of the Together Cafe Too now marks its third location across RCSJ's two campuses. 

RCSJ President Dr. Brenden Rickards shared the importance of this expansion: "This opportunity exists because of the strength of our community and the power of partnerships. As a college we have a need to provide food services for our students. At GCSSSD, GCIT, and the RCSJ ACT program, we have a need to provide hands-on career and skills training. Add strong support from our County Commissioners and Boards, and we have a model so successful that this is the third location." 

Attendees at the ceremony included members of RCSJ's ACT Program, members of GCSSSD, Gloucester County Commissioners, and RCSJ administration, faculty, and staff. Most importantly, student interns from the Gloucester County Institute of Technology (GCIT) and the ACT Program were able to share their experience at the celebration. 

“I started here on the RCSJ campus in the ACT Program where I worked at the original Together Cafe at the medical building [Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine (SOM)], with Ms. Pam and Ms. Amy," shared Michael C., master of ceremonies for the event, and Together Cafe Too employee, “I graduated the ACT Program last year and was hired to work here in June and have loved it ever since." 

Aydan D., a student intern at GCSSSD's Career Center, recalled how important his experience within this program has been. 

“Working here has become one of the biggest moments of growth in my life. At first, I had to force myself to talk to customers, I had to remind myself to breathe when things got busy, and some days I left thinking I failed. But I kept coming back, shift after shift, and started noticing something; I could stay calm, I could fix problems, I could handle responsibility... 

Now I'm leaving knowing I can handle challenges, show up for people, and trust myself. I didn't just find a job here; I found belief in myself." 

Dr. Guy Davidson, dean of Academic Enhancement & Special Services at RCSJ and co-chair for the Academy for Neurodiversity, expressed how the event's focus should not shy away from the lived experiences of these students: 

"The Together Cafe Too collaboration is taking students that live in our community, teaching them real skills, and putting them in a position to succeed...Where else would you find a college campus willing to do the kinds of things that we're doing here? We have an ACT Program... We have a Special Services School District that is the model for the entire state [New Jersey]." 

Davidson continued, “We have a tremendous amount of support from our elected officials, our college leadership, and from the leadership of GCSSSD... This is an effective partnership that could not be done without the different levels of support that we have."

​The Together Cafe Too is run by the GCSSSD's Career Center in partnership with the ACT program. GCSSD Superintendent Jamie Dundee shared his admiration for how this collaboration has grown. 

“This is not only the opening of a new cafe, but also the opening of new opportunities. It's a new beginning. It stands for a powerful commitment to work-based learning, providing our students with authentic hands-on experiences and essential employment skills that they can carry with them beyond the classroom."

Gloucester County Commissioner Tom Bianco emphasized the Cafe's importance in providing residents with essential employment skills.  

“One thing we hear from employers all the time: soft skills. If you come here and talk to our workers, they have those soft skills. They'll talk to you, they'll greet you... At the end of the day, it's about giving these students an opportunity." 

To learn more about the Together Cafe Too, visit RCSJ.edu/Cafe or find out more about RCSJ's ACT program at RCSJ.edu/ACT.